Lamp assembly



APril 1967 R. T. MURRAY 3,316,527

LAMP ASSEMBLY Filed Jan. 18, 1966 /0446B 74 a? 4 ar 6 64 Fig. 4.

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Robezi 1'. Murray,

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nited States atent 3,316,527 Patented Apr. 25, 1967 Delaware Filed Jan. 18, 1966, Ser. No. 521,295 2 Claims. (Cl. 339188) An object of the present invention is to provide a onepiece, electric lamp holder having means for engaging an insulated member.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a onepiece lamp socket having a pair of spaced arm including slots for engaging the pins of a lamp bulb base.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a onepiece lamp socket which provides simple disengagement of the bulb.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a onepiece socket having a bifurcated tailpiece, a tubular insulator snap engaged with the tailpiece.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the socket assembly;

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of the socket shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of a variation of the assembly shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the assembly shown in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

Referring to the drawing there is shown a onepiece socket comprising a base portion 10, generally rectangular in configuration and having a terminal end bent upward in angular relation with the remaining part of the base portion 10, to provide a tailpiece 12. The tailpiece 12 includes a longitudinal slot 14 formed therein providing a pair of spaced leg portions 16. Each of the leg portions 16 has an inner edge which is arced intermediate its ends to provide an engagement portion 18. The engagement portion 18 may be embossed outwardly if desired. The embossments are desirable since they facilitate the engagement of the tailpiece 12 with the insulating member 20. A chamfered lead may be provided at the terminal end of each leg portion 16 as an additional feature to assist in facilitating engagement with the insulating member 20. The slot 14 may be continued past the engagement portions 18 to provide greater flexibility in the leg portions 16, thus further increasing the efliciency of the engagement with the insulating member 20.

The other terminal end of the base portion is bent back on itself to provide a flexible clamping member 22 for engagement with a support. A blade termination 26 extends from the base portion 10 in close proximity to the tailpiece 12. The tailpiece 12 is bent toward the pair of arms 28 to be described hereinafter.

An arm 28 extends from each side edge of the base portion 10 towards the same general plane as that toward which the tailpiece 12 is directed. Each of the arms 28 is first bent inwardly toward the longitudinal plane of the base portion 10 and then is arced to provide a nesting portion 30. Each of the arms 28 is finally angled outwardly to provide a terminal end 31 to act as a lead in, and to initially assist in spreading or levering the arms 28 on engagement with a bulb 32. The distance between the lines of juncture between the nesting portion 30 and the terminal end 31 is less than the external diameter of the base 34 of the bulb 32. A locating and indexing slot 36 is provided through each arm 28 extending laterally through the line of juncture between the nesting portion 30 and the terminal ends 31 to a predetermined point in the nesting portion 30, remote from the terminal end 31. The wall of each of the locating and indexing slots 36 has a notch 38 formed therein to provide the final engagement area for the pins of the bulb 32.

The insulating member 20 is formed of an insulating material such as an organic polymeric material and comprises a tubular body portion 40 open at both ends having a flange portion 42 extending radially from a first end of the body portion 40 and forming an external shoulder 41 therewith. The top of the flange portion 42 has an internal shoulder 44 provided by a recess, having a greater diameter than the bore of the body portion 40, formed therein. An insulated lead wire 46 having one end bared is engaged to a metal contact 48 which is crimped to the bared end of the lead 46 and which has a cap engageable against the internal shoulder 44 of the element 20.

A variation of the element 20 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, numbered 20a. The insulating element 20a includes a tubular, body portion 40a open at both ends having a flange portion 42a extending normally to the axis of the body portion 40a, having an internal shoulder 44a provided by a recess and having an internal circumferential chamfer running from the internal shoulder 44a to a predetermined plane remote from the first end toward the axis of the body portion. A tubular extension 50 having a smaller external diameter and having an axis in common with the body portion extends therefrom and forms an external shoulder therewith which is chamfered.

A variation of the socket disclosed in FIGS. 1 and 2 is shown in FIGS. 3 through 5. The variation has a base portion 10a, having a tailpiece 12a bent up from an end of the base portion 10a and similar to the tailpiece 12. The end of the base portion 10a, opposite to that from which the tailpiece 12a is formed is continued on the same plane as an L-shaped finger 54 which has its free terminal end bent upwardly to provide a terminal portion 55. The arms 28a are similar to the arms 28 except that the notch 38 is not formed in the wall of the slot 36a.

The switch and socket assembly disclosed in FIGS. 3 through 5 is normally installed in an automobile and includes a mounting member or frame. The frame comprises a front frame portion 56 having a rectangular opening 58 formed therethrough. The opening 58 is covered by a removable lens 60 which tends to diffuse the emitted light and conceal the light source and its supporting hardware. A generally rectangular platform portion 62 extends from the rear of the front frame portion 56 in substantially right angle relationship thereto and below and adjacent to the rectangular opening 58. A shelf portion 64 also extends from the rear of the front frame portion 56 at substantially right angle relation thereto and spaced from the platform portion 62. The shelf portion 64 and the platform portion 62 lie on the same plane. The shelf portion 64 is extended toward the platform portion 62 by an integral stage portion 66 which lies in a plane above the plane of the shelfportion 64. The stage portion 66 is formed of a first section and a second section spaced from the first section. The first section has a rounded protuberance 68 formed in close proximity to its terminal end. A substantially rectangular contact bar 70 is engaged to the second section of the stage portion 66 and extends through a slot 72 formed in the lens 60. The contact bar 70 is movable, in an arc, toward and away from the platform portion 62. The socket variation is attached to the platform portion 62 by riveting or stapling after an insulating pad 74 is placed on the platform portion 62, thus insulating the socket from the platform portion 62. The platform portion 62 has an opening which allows the staple to pass up through the pad and through the base portion 10a of the socket thereby avoiding the platform portion 62. The L-shaped finger 54 of the platform portion 62 extends beyond the edge of the platform portions toward the shelf portion 64. The rectangular contact bar 70 includes a pair of spaced shallow cavities, one of which is engageable with the protuberance 68 of the first section of the stage portion 66 when the contact bar 70 is moved toward the shelf portion 64 and the other of which is engageable with the terminal portion 55 when the contact bar 70 is'moved toward the socket thereby completing the lamp socket.

The bulb 32 is engaged with the socket by placing the base of the bulb 32 against the ends of the terminal ends 31 off the arms 28 with the pins of the bulb 32 substantially parallel to the plane of the arms 28 and forward of the slots 36. As the base of the bulb 32 is pushed toward the base portion 10, the arms 28 are levered away from each other until the bulb base snaps into the arced nesting portions 30 of the arms 28. Then the bulb 32 is pushed toward the tailpiece 12 until the pins are aligned with the slots 36 and the bulb base engages thernetal contact 48 which is within the insulating member 20 held by the tailpiece 12. The bulb 32 is then rotated, placing the pins within the slots 36. The terminal of the bulb 32 will engage against the contact 48 which is urged by the tailpiece 12 toward the bulb 32 thus providing a flexible engagement. As stated-heretofore,'a notch 38 may be provided in the forward wall of the slot 36 which will be the ultimate resting place of the pins of the bulb 32.

However, it is not necessary to have these slots 38 as the pins would satisfactorily engage against the forward straight edge of the slot 36a, as shown in FIG. 3.

To disengage the bulb 32 from the socket, the envelope of the bulb 32 is grasped and rotated away from the base portion of the socket. As this rotation continues, the arms 28 are levered away from each other, freeing the pins from the slots 36 and allowing the bulb to be withdrawn.

With reference to the foregoing description it is to be understood that what has been disclosed herein represents only a single embodiment of the invention and is to be construed as illustrative rather than restrictive in nature and that the invention is best described by the following claims.

What is claimed:

1. A socket assembly for an electrical element comprising a base portion having a terminal end bent up to provide a tail piece, said tail piece being bifurcated to provide a pair of spaced leg portions and an arm extending from each side edge of said base portion toward the same plane as that toward which said tail piece is directed, each of said arms having a terminal end bent away from the longitudinal midplane of said base portion, and having an arcuate portion and a vertical slot, for engaging the pin of an electrical element, formed through a portion of said terminal end toward said base portion, each of said leg portions having an edge and each of said edges being arced to form an engagement portion, said engagement portion engaging an insulating member, said insulating member comprising a flange portion and a tubular body portion extending from said flange portion and forming a shoulder therewith, said shoulder butting said leg portions against said engagement portions and said base portion having a blade termination extending therefrom.

2. A socket assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said tail piece is bent toward the area between said arms to provide increased flexibility for engaging an electrical element.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,190,403 2/1940 Foute 339-188 2,724,769 11/1955 DArbelofi 200-17 3,110,539 11/1963 Harris 339188 FOREIGN PATENTS 70,381 11/ 1958 France. 189,674 6/ 1964 Sweden.

ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Primary Examiner.

R. S. MACON, D. SMITH, Assistant Exammers. 

1. A SOCKET ASSEMBLY FOR AN ELECTRICAL ELEMENT COMPRISING A BASE PORTION HAVING A TERMINAL END BENT UP TO PROVIDE A TAIL PIECE, SAID TAIL PIECE BEING BIFURCATED TO PROVIDE A PAIR OF SPACED LEG PORTIONS AND AN ARM EXTENDING FROM EACH SIDE EDGE OF SAID BASE PORTION TOWARD THE SAME PLANE AS THAT TOWARD WHICH SAID TAIL PIECE IS DIRECTED, EACH OF SAID ARMS HAVING A TERMINAL END BENT AWAY FROM THE LONGITUDINAL MIDPLANE OF SAID BASE PORTION, AND HAVING AN ARCUATE PORTION AND A VERTICAL SLOT, FOR ENGAGING THE PIN OF AN ELECTRICAL ELEMENT, FORMED THROUGH A PORTION OF SAID TERMINAL END TOWARD SAID BASE PORTION, EACH OF SAID LEG PORTIONS HAVING AN EDGE AND EACH OF SAID EDGES BEING ARCED TO FORM AN ENGAGEMENT PORTION, SAID ENGAGEMENT PORTION ENGAGING AN INSULATING MEMBER, SAID INSULATING MEMBER COMPRISING A FLANGE PORTION AND A TUBULAR BODY PORTION EXTENDING FROM SAID FLANGE PORTION AND FORMING A SHOULDER THEREWITH, SAID SHOULDER BUTTING SAID LEG PORTIONS AGAINST SAID ENGAGEMENT PORTIONS AND SAID BASE PORTION HAVING A BLADE TERMINATION EXTENDING THEREFROM. 